1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to aquatic sportswear, in particular sportswear that is generally referred to as wetsuits, and which are more particularly adapted to nautical or underwater sporting activities, such as surfing, board sailing, diving, etc.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Sportswear of the aforementioned type are generally classified in two categories: dry or waterproof suits in which water does not penetrate inside the suit, and wetsuits in which a thin film of water is allowed between the garment and the diver's body, this film being almost instantaneously heated by the diver's body.
Such aquatic suits generally comprise a main portion that covers the torso, a front panel of which covers the front portion of the thorax, and a rear panel covering the back. This main portion that covers the torso includes openings for the passage of the arms, legs, and head. The garment can include sleeves and legs for covering the upper limbs and the lower limbs, respectively.
These garments, in particular wetsuits, are generally made of flexible and elastic material so as to fit the shape of the body as closely as possible without hindering movement of the wearer. For example, these materials can be elastic fabrics (such as fabrics having elasthane), or polychloroprene foams (known under the trademark NEOPRENE®), these materials being capable of being assembled to one another at various locations of the same garment. Depending on the choice of these materials, these garments can offer protection against the cold, impacts, the sun, etc.
Various systems are provided to facilitate the wearer putting on and removing such garments. The most widely used of the systems is that which includes an opening in the form of a slit in the torso-forming part of the garment. This slit is often arranged in the rear panel of the garment, and it extends, for example, vertically along the spine, from the neckline down to the lower back. The slit is provided with fastening arrangement which is generally made in the form of a slide fastener or zipper.
The conventional arrangement for the fastening of the slit poses problems of comfort and imperviousness in the area of the neck and in the area of the slit.
Various alternative embodiments are disclosed in the documents FR-2 769 475, GB-2 312 643, U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,364, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,229, U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,703, and WO-00/66423. All of these documents describe suits that do not have the slit provided with fastening means to avoid water infiltration. Therefore, these constructions require providing an opening for the passage of the head, at the top of the suit, which is sufficiently large to also allow for the passage of the entire user's body. Imperviousness in the area of this opening is ensured by an external flap that is supposed to be imperviously pressed on the torso-forming part. In certain cases, two superimposed external flaps are even provided. However, these constructions have proven unsatisfactory due much difficulty in putting on the suit due to the lack of a closable slit, on the one hand, and due to the lack of imperviousness in the area of the opening for the passage of the head, on the other hand. Indeed, the flaps are not efficiently pressed against the torso, in particular when the user makes wide movements with the upper limbs.